World Cup 2014: The complete LFC guide

Liverpool will be represented by a dozen players at the World Cup this summer as the global football festival once again grasps the attention of millions of fans with a month filled by the beautiful game.

All eyes turn to Brazil from Thursday June 12 as the 20th edition of the showpiece tournament kicks off with the highly-fancied hosts taking on Croatia in the opening clash of Group A.

Aside from the veritable feast of football, featuring 32 nations and concluding with a final at the famous Maracana Stadium on July 13, Reds fans will have plenty of reasons to keep a close eye on South America.

No fewer than 12 of Brendan Rodgers' squad will don the colours of their country during the next five weeks, including an opportunity to watch the manager's first signing of the summer - England striker Rickie Lambert - in action.

So, here's our handy guide, all kick-off times in BST, to following Anfield's stars in their pursuit of international glory after their exertions in helping Liverpool to a second-place finish in the Barclays Premier League last season.

Furthermore, our global and international social media accounts will also be using the hashtag #LFCWorldCup throughout the competition to pull together the best quotes, stories, images and videos from Brazil.

1 of 12

JUNE 13

Spain-Netherlands 8pm KO (Pepe Reina)

Following a campaign away from the club on loan with Napoli, goalkeeper Pepe Reina travels to the World Cup with reigning champions Spain. There, he'll compete with Iker Casillas and David de Gea for a place between the posts - beginning with a mouth-watering encounter against the Netherlands, a repeat of the 2010 final, that kicks off at 8pm.

Fans don't have to wait long for huge match-ups at this tournament, as England take on Italy just three days in. Steven Gerrard, Jordan Henderson, Glen Johnson and Daniel Sturridge will be confident of starting the tie in Manaus, while Lambert and Raheem Sterling are hoping to do enough for selection by Roy Hodgson. Earlier in the day, a Uruguay squad that contains Sebastian Coates and Luis Suarez kick off their quest against Costa Rica.

JUNE 15

Ivory Coast-Japan 2am KO (Kolo Toure)

France-Honduras 8pm KO(Mamadou Sakho)

Two Liverpool defenders are likely to be in action on this date, starting with Kolo Toure and his promising Ivory Coast team. Having been dented by daunting group-stage draws in the past two events, the African heavyweights will be seeking a strong start this time around. Later, Mamadou Sakho and France get their campaign underway in Porto Alegre, with Honduras the opposition.

JUNE 17

Belgium-Algeria 5pm KO (Simon Mignolet)

An upwardly mobile Belgium, considered by many as a potential threat this summer, start against Algeria on the sixth day of the tournament. Liverpool 'keeper Simon Mignolet is within their ranks, fresh from a debut season at Anfield in which he recorded 10 Premier League clean sheets, contending with Thibaut Courtois for the No.1 spot.

JUNE 18

Spain-Chile 8pm KO(Pepe Reina)

Reina and the Spanish squad move to Rio de Janeiro for the second game of their defence, with the dangerous assets of South American outfit Chile to contend with. The two sides met at the group stage four years ago in South Africa - La Roja ran out 2-1 winners on that occasion en route to lifting the trophy.

A date that most Liverpool fans will have had in their diary for a while - Suarez, the man who scooped all of the individual honours in England last season, comes face-to-face with the Three Lions and a number of his Anfield colleagues. First up that day, Toure's Ivory Coast navigate a second fixture in the shape of Colombia. All eyes will then turn to Sao Paulo for what is expected to be a highlight of the World Cup.

JUNE 20

Switzerland-France 8pm KO(Mamadou Sakho)

Centre-back Sakho returns to action with Les Bleus, who will be seeking redemption following the disappointment of elimination without winning a match at the last World Cup. The 24-year-old is likely to feature in Didier Deschamps' XI after an encouraging debut season with the Reds that brought 19 appearances.

JUNE 22

Belgium-Russia 5pm KO (Simon Mignolet)

Mignolet and co take on 2018 hosts Russia in their second encounter of Group H in what could possibly be a key clash in deciding who progresses to the knockouts. The 26-year-old will be keen to taste the experience of playing at the Maracana, the venue for the final three weeks later on Sunday July 13.

JUNE 23

Australia-Spain 5pm KO(Pepe Reina)

The first batch of qualifiers from the group stages to the last 16 will be decided on this day, with Spain encountering opponents from a third different continent - Australia. Vicente del Bosque's charges will be aware of the potential to meet home nation Brazil in the next round and will therefore need to perform accordingly.

A busy day for Reds, when three-quarters of the club's representatives in Brazil will find out whether their participation continues beyond the opening stages. England conclude their Group D campaign against Costa Rica, while at the same time the Uruguayans clash with Italy. Later in the day, Toure and his team try to reach the last 16 by securing a helpful result from a tie with Greece.

JUNE 25

Ecuador-France 9pm KO(Mamadou Sakho)

France end Group E with a tricky-looking meeting against Ecuador, who stemmed England's flow during a friendly warm-up at the beginning of June. The threat of well-stocked Argentina looms if Sakho and his teammates do not successfully claim top spot in their section.

JUNE 26

South Korea-Belgium 9pm KO (Simon Mignolet)

The Red Devils bring the World Cup group stage to a close, a fortnight after the opening day, by crossing swords with South Korea. Mignolet's nation will be in action as Russia take on Algeria to decide the final standings.

KNOCKOUT STAGES

Following one day of rest in Brazil, the round of 16 gets underway on Saturday June 28, with two matches played per day - at 5pm and 9pm - until July 1. The eight winners of those ties progress to the quarter-finals, which will be held on July 4 and July 5. We will discover who has reached the final when the semi-finals are played, on July 8 and July 9, with the third-place play-off three days later. The attention of the globe will then be focused on the Maracana in Rio at 8pm on Sunday July 13, when the champions will be crowned and an audience of billions will watch events unfold live.

Stay logged onto Liverpoolfc.com for the latest updates, reports, photos, videos and more for the duration of the tournament.

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